Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92771 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 464(@200wpm)___ 371(@250wpm)___ 309(@300wpm)
“I understand, but my husband can be quite insistent and will not be kept from the room.”
“Can he hold his tongue?” Ula asked.
“He minds his tongue well,” Shade said, thinking of the secrets he kept.
“Then we have no problem,” Ula said with a sense of relief.
The two women worked well together. Shade had Ula request certain items be brought to the room before they got busy cleaning it. Candles and a tall, iron candelabra were brought and left outside the bedchamber door for the women to place where sufficient light would be provided for her to tend to the chieftain. Numerous candles were lit, and Shade was finally able to see that the room was a far more generous size than she had thought. She immediately had Una help her clean off a narrow table and move it across the room away from the bed.
She scrubbed it down, making use of one of the many buckets of water that servants had been instructed to leave outside the door. While she began emptying her healing pouch and arranging it all on the table, Ula gathered the bloody and dirty cloths piled in a corner to place outside the door for the servants to take and wash. Una swept the floor, then the two women began removing bowls and tankards that had piled up around the room.
When all was finally done, Shade said, “Now it is time for me to thoroughly examine the chieftain. Then we will wash him and replace the soiled bedding with fresh bedding.”
Shade now had sufficient light to finally see the chieftain and her eyes turned wide when she looked down at him. It took her a moment to speak. “This is Caleb. Where is Chieftain Ryland?”
Quint sat at one of the tables in the Great Hall with Nug, his wife heavy on his thoughts. He would not chance her falling into danger. There was no telling what might be waiting for them in this keep.
“Ale!” Nug called out as he sat on the bench opposite Quint.
A jug and tankards were quickly brought to the table and Nug dismissed the servant to fill the tankards himself.
“Shade and I ran into some of your warriors on the way here,” Quint said. “I gave them the cart we rode in so they could collect other MacLeish warriors who were wounded.”
“Thank you. That was generous of you.”
“You should also know that the group of mercenaries Lord Torrance sent to oversee your clan met foul play and are all dead.”
Nug grinned. “A fitting end to them and news the clan will be relieved to hear. But Lord Torrance will waste no time replacing them.”
“Still, it gives you time.”
“For what? With so many wounded, there are few left who can fight.”
“I heard that Chieftain Ryland is a wise leader. You should ask his advice when he is able to speak with you.”
“Believe me, I wish I could speak to him,” Nug said, frustrated. “He would know what to do.”
“Are you familiar with any of the mercenaries who fought for Lord Torrance?” Quint asked, wasting no time in finding out any information that might help him locate the man who hunted him.
“They are all the same to me. Men who care for nothing but coins and hold allegiance to no one. There is a group of mercenaries who often do work and favors for Lord Torrance. They are led by a man named Asher, and I pray he doesn’t send him here. Lord Torrance can be cruel, but Asher,” —Nug shook his head— “I have never known of a man who gets such pleasure from causing others pain, except maybe The Monk. It is said he is a madman and kills with no remorse or regret. Our clan could use his help, but I believe everyone would be too fearful to have him here.”
Quint was glad he kept that he was The Monk a secret upon his arrival. He didn’t want his presence to cause any more problems than Clan MacLeish already had. What caught his attention was the man, Asher. Dru had mentioned him, and he believed there was a good chance that he was the man he was searching for and who was hunting him.
Quint didn’t intend to discuss The Monk with him so to avoid any more talk about him, he asked, “Would you know if a ragamuffin of a woman called Dru has arrived here yet.”
“You mean the little thief,” Nug said, shaking his head. “I don’t know why Ryland lets her stay here. She can be a pain in the arse.”
Quint couldn’t help but chuckle. “That she can be.”
“You know her?”
“Aye, I saved her arse one time.”
“More the pity,” Nug said.
“You bloody hell know why Ryland lets me stay here. Go on and tell him.”
Nug cringed and scrunched his shoulders as if the sound of her voice was too irritating to bear.